A furry suspect led San Bernardino Sheriff’s deputies in Rancho Cucamonga on an unusual pursuit Wednesday morning, May 18.A black bear was spotted near Archibald and Highland avenues about 6:30 a.m. and sheriff’s officials spent the morning chasing it throughout the city, said Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Bailey.Once the bear passed Vineyard Junior High School, the school was locked down and students were brought into the multi-purpose room as they showed up for class before 8:10 a.m.The bear wandered about the city for a few hours before crawling up into a tree near the intersection of Hermosa and Highland avenues and the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife responded to help officials safely get the bear back home.Officials tried to coax the bear down the tree slightly so it could be safely tranquilized, and that plan proved successful, Bailey said.About 11 a.m., the bear was tranquilized with two to three darts and ran from the area. It was discovered about five to ten minutes later in a nearby yard, he said.Highland Avenue was closed off just north of Hermosa Avenue up to Bristol Drive during the standoff with the bear.The school’s lockdown was lifted and roads were re-opened about 11:30 a.m., once the bear was back on the ground. The state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife officials planned to release the bear to the nearby mountains.It’s not uncommon for bears, coyotes and mountain lions to come down from the nearby mountains, Bailey said.“From time to time, we’ve had calls for service reference wildlife because the north side of the city does border the mountain,” he said.

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